St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-28
GRADING AND WEIGHING.
The Commission Investigating the
Systems in Minneapolis.

me COMMISSION EnVcSU1gaIlIIg Tie
Systems in Minneapolis.
A few weeks ago the GLOBE called
the attention of the board of warehouse
commissioners to the abuses which had
crept into the weighing department,
and suggested that an investigation of
this department was necessary. The
suggestions of the GLOBE, it seems, are
being carried out. Yesterday Commits
siOnerS Becker and Austin visited most
of the elevators and mills in the city,
and investigated the manner of handling
and weighing grain, and. from the
numerous letters received from
points in Minnesota and Dakota,
thanking the GLOBE for stirring
the matter up and telling of the great
Improvement in weights, there seems to
have been something else done in this
matter. Several shippers will again
commence shipping to this point, who
had entirely quit on account of the
losses in weight last season. At the
time the article above mentioned was
published there was great howl from
the millerS and others about the injury
it would do the city, but instead of an
injury they now find it was great ben
eft.
Before starting out on their tour of the
mills the commission heard the COM
plant of Henry Poehler, president of
the Pacific elevators, and A. Sunwall,
superintendent of the Minneapolis 81
st. Louis elevators, in regard to the in
spection of wheat Off the Minneapolis
d st. Louis railroad. They claimed that
the yards of this road than in the yards
of the other roads. Mr.. Poehler said his
company had lost grade On half the
wheat they had sent to Minneapolis
this season. and that they could get
better price for their wheat by sample
than they could by grade. This assertion
seemed to astoniSh the commission,
for they had given an order some time
ago that inspectors should be changed
from one yard to another at short inter
walls so as to be able to see whether the
inspection was uniform or not.
j. A. James. the chief inspector, was
called in and Intercepted by Commits
SiOner Austin as follows:
Q.-Who is inspecting in the Minneapolis
g. st. Louis yard?
A.-Inspector Prendergast.
Q.-How long has he been there?
Aver since he was appointed.
Q.-Why are you ignoring the order of this
commission about changing inspectors?
W
changes is because it takes so long for a new
man to become acquainted with the yard that
/ would need more help.
Q.-Have we ever refused you extra help?
James at this point tried to enter into dis
cussion on what he thought would be the eff
feet of this order if carried out, but was cut
short by Commissioner Austin, who said the
commission had heard all of these objections
before the order was given, and henceforth
he wanted the orders of the commission
obeyed.
Messrs. Poehler and Sunwall said if
this order was enforced, they thought
everything would be satisfactory. The
claim was made by several of the COM
mission men that wheat of certain
character, sometimes called Lime
wheat" will inspect under the Duluth
method one grade higher than in Min
neapolis and that injustice is done this
market by such a difference in grading.
Chief Inspector James explained
it by saying that there is
so much high grade wheat
taken into Duluth elevators that more
or less of scant grade can be mixed
with it and still maintain an average
grade, while here in Minneapolis the
high grade does not get into the grade
lines, but is selected and kept by itself
for milling purposes. The commission
ers said they thought this evil could be
remedied by lowering the Minneapolis
grades and raising the standard of Du-
luth grades so as to make them equal.